This invention relates to the field of reprocessors for devices, particularly medical devices, and more particularly to endoscopes and the like having one or more internal passageways which are to be cleaned and disinfected by an automatic reprocessor. Reprocessing includes washing, disinfecting and drying such devices. As used herein, the terms “endoscope” and “endoscopes” refer not only to endoscopes, but also to similar devices (including accessories) which may suitably be reprocessed using an Automatic Endoscope Reprocessor, or AER.
In the past, AERs typically relied upon the human operator to properly connect and inspect the connections between the endoscope and the AER.
In the prior art, it was known to pressurize the sheath of an endoscope to test for leaks. In that type of test, if any leakage was measured, the endoscope under test was required to be serviced, since such testing was directed to a closed system in which it was expected and desired to have no leakage. However, with the present invention, testing for connectivity of channels in the endoscope must take leakage into account, since the distal end of the endoscope characteristically has one or more channel openings which will inherently (and properly) leak when the channel or channels are subjected to pressurized fluid. As such, conventional leak testing techniques of the prior art are not suitable for connectivity testing according to the present invention.
Endoscopes which are candidates for the present invention include various configurations for through passages or channels, small non-interconnected channels, large non-interconnected channels, interconnected passages having at least one small channel, and interconnected passages having only large channels.